Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) was in Goromonzi North Ward 16 under Headman Musonza on Thursday the 4th of March 2021, for an Informal Traders Accountability Agenda (ITAA) programme to raise awareness on constitutionalism and encourage a culture of accountability by office bearers through constructive engagement between the governed and the governing authority.
Facilitator Mr. Edward Kapodogo took participants through the Constitution of Zimbabwe, in particular in so far as it relates to socio economic rights. There was particular interest from participants with regards the Right to Administrative Justice, Section 68 as they wanted to find out their recourse pertaining to the Covid-19 lockdown demolitions that were undertaken by local authorities countrywide.
The plenary session revealed that the participants are indeed well aware of their rights as enshrined in the Constitution but are lacking in local level organization on how to approach solution holders.
Officials from the Ministry of SMEs and also from Sports Ministry, welcomed VISET’s programme today and took the opportunity to appraise residents of initiatives from their Ministries, in particular that of SMEs who disclosed that processing of loans for projects has now been decentralized. The officials however emphasized the need for residents to belong or form representative bodies that would make it easier to engage with solution holders.
The next step of the ITAA programme will see participants enraging in vendor to vendor engagements to spread teachings from the session to those who were unable to attend. Finally, there will be capacitation on how to engage solution holders in addressing local issues.
Source: Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET)
